Even though Norway offers among the most generous maternity and paternity leave in the world, Norwegians aren’t having nearly as many children as they used to. The national fertility rate dropped to 1.41 last year, down from the 1.55 in 2021 and the lowest ever recorded in Norway.
State statistics bureau SSB (Statistics Norway) reports that a total of 51,500 babies were born in Norway last year. That’s 4,500 fewer than the year before (when Norway experienced a baby boom during Corona-related lockdowns) and 1,500 less than in 2020, when most births reflected pre-Corona levels.
It boils down to 1.41 children per woman in 2022, continuing what SSB calls “the trend of a major decline in fertility.” Fully 54 percent of women who turned 30 last year have not had children, up from 42 percent 10 years ago.
All counties in Norway reported declines in the numbers of women having children. Women living in Oslo have just 1.25 children on average, with those in Rogaland having the highest fertility rate of 1.57.
NewsinEnglish.no staff
